Just like part 1 opens with a poem, the stage for part 2 is set through poetry. There are a few things that you should probably know before attacking this poem. Tom a Bedlam probably means Tom of Bedlam (the Bethlem Royal Hospital) and was a term used to refer to beggars and vagrants who pretend to be (probably some actually were) mentally ill. The practice was quickly adopted as a way to help a beggar beg. Beggars often claimed to be from the hospital even though they were not.
"Tom a Bedlam"
Anonymous
From the hag and hungry goblin,
That into rags would rend ye, ------The spirit that stands ------By the naked man
In the Book of Moons, defend ye,
That of your five sound senses,
You never be forsaken, ------Nor wander from ------Yourselves with Tom,
Abroad to beg your bacon.
------ While I do sing "Any food, any feeding? ------ Money, drink, or clothing? ------ Come dame or maid, ------ Be not afraid-- ------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
Of thirty bare years have I,
Twice twenty been enraged, ------ And of forty been ------ Three times fifteen,
in durance soundly caged,
In the lordly lofts of Bedlam,
With the stubble soft and dainty, ------ Brave bracelets strong, ------ Sweet whips ding-dong,
With wholesome hunger plenty.
------And now I sing "Any food, any feeding? ------ Money, drink, or clothing? ------ Come dame or maid, ------ be not afraid-- ------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
With a thought I took for Maudlin,
And a cruse of cockle pottage. ------ With a thing thus tall, ------ Sky bless you all,
I befell into this dotage.
I slept not since the Conquest,
Till then I never waked. ------ Till the roguish boy ------ Of love where I lay
Me found and stripped me naked.
------ While I do sing "Any food, any feeding? ------ Money, drink, or clothing? ------ Come dame or maid, ------ be not afraid-- ------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
When short I have shorn my sow's face,
And swigged my horny barrel, ------ In an oaken inn, ------ I pound my skin
As a suit of gilt apparel.
The Moon's my constant mistress,
And the lonely owl my marrow. ------The flaming drake ------and the night crow make
Me music to my sorrow.
------ While I do sing "Any food, any feeding? ------ Money, drink, or clothing? ------ Come dame or maid, ------ be not afraid-- ------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
The palsy plagues my pulses,
When I prig your pigs or pullen. ------ Your culvers take, ------ or matchless make
Your Chanticleer or Sullen.
When I want provant, with Humphry
I sup, and when benighted, ------ I repose in Paul's ------ with waking souls,
Yet never am affrighted.
------ But I do sing "Any food, any feeding? ------ Money, drink, or clothing? ------ Come dame or maid, ------ be not afraid-- ------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
I know more than Apollo,
For oft when he lies sleeping ------ I see the stars ------ at mortal wars
In the wounded welkin weeping.
The moon embrace her shepherd,
And the Queen of Love her warrior, ------ While the first doth horn ------ the star of morn,
and the next the heavenly Farrier.
------ While I do sing "Any food, any feeding? ------ Money, drink, or clothing? ------ Come dame or maid, ------ be not afraid-- ------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
The Gypsies, Snap and Pedro,
Are none of Tom's comradoes, ------ The punk I scorn, ------ and the cutpurse sworn
And the roaring boy's bravadoes.
The meek, the white, the gentle,
Me handle not nor spare not; ------ But those that cross ------ Tom Rynosseross
Do what the panther dare not.
------ Although I sing "Any food, any feeding? ------ Money, drink, or clothing? ------ Come dame or maid, ------ be not afraid-- ------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
With an host of furious fancies,
Whereof I am commander. ------ With a burning spear ------ And a horse of Air,
To the wilderness I wander.
By a knight of ghosts and shadows,
I summoned am to tourney ------ Ten leagues beyond ------ The wild world's end--
Methinks it is no journey.
------ Yet I do sing "Any food, any feeding? ------ Money, drink, or clothing? ------ Come dame or maid, ------ be not afraid-- ------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
(Not So) Thought-provoking questions
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Is this Tom hoping that people never have to beg like he does?
Or is it Tom warning people to be wary of him if he comes to steal your bacon?
.
This section is a chorus that is sung between each of the verses.
.
Tom calls to women. Is he sincere here or is he trying to trap them?
.
.
.
This stanza is bizzare. I think that he is intentionally screwing up his math here.
It fits because, while he wants you to believe that he is loony and harmless, in all
reality he is trying to lure you in.
The fool has a unique place in a society. He can say anything he wants without repercussions.
This is often a powerful position and affords him the ability to "call it like it is." Most of the time,
the foll is anything but a fool.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Maudlin: This is a reference to Mary Magdalene. Found religion? or a Prostitute?
A cruse of cockle pottage: a mess of weeds
.
.
dotage: a decline of mental facilities related to old age
.
Is this a reference to birth? or a metaphoric birth?
What is the capital "C" Conquest? Is this in some way to relate to the Maudlin?
.
Cupid?
Weird...I really don't get it.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
pig's face? What does that mean? Is this a sort of mask?
.
.
gilt apparel is rich clothes but gilt is again something that only looks like gold
but it really isn't...masking again
.
I am always out at night
marrow: wife
flaming drake: shooting star
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Later in the poem, the narrator references St. Paul. Palsy - Paulsy?
a.k.a. - when i steal your pigs or chickens
a.k.a. - by stealing your hens, I make your roosters widowers
.
provant: food
benighted: when it turns to night or to be intellectually/morally ignorant
.
to sup with Humphry is to go hungry
affrighted: sudden fear or terror / a source of sudden fear or terror
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Apollo: god of light, healing, poetry, prophecy
.
.
.
welkin: sky; maybe a god of the sky?
.
more reference to gods the moon (Diana) her shepherd (Endymion)
Queen of Love (Venus); warrior (Mars)
to horn is to cuckhold: or to cheat on one's husband
This is a reference to Diana cheating on her husband Vulcan with Mars
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Tom is saying that he doesn't associate with these types of people
punk: prostitute
cutpurse: pick pocket
.
.
.
is this a threat?
to cross: to get in one's way or maybe a religious reference to make the sign of the cross
.
again a threat?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
is he gathering an army?
.
.
.
.
.
no longer little Tom o Bedlam...
he seems mean now...
is this hell?
.
hmmm.....
Anonymous
From the hag and hungry goblin,
That into rags would rend ye,
------The spirit that stands
------By the naked man
In the Book of Moons, defend ye,
That of your five sound senses,
You never be forsaken,
------Nor wander from
------Yourselves with Tom,
Abroad to beg your bacon.
------ While I do sing "Any food, any feeding?
------ Money, drink, or clothing?
------ Come dame or maid,
------ Be not afraid--
------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
Of thirty bare years have I,
Twice twenty been enraged,
------ And of forty been
------ Three times fifteen,
in durance soundly caged,
In the lordly lofts of Bedlam,
With the stubble soft and dainty,
------ Brave bracelets strong,
------ Sweet whips ding-dong,
With wholesome hunger plenty.
------ And now I sing "Any food, any feeding?
------ Money, drink, or clothing?
------ Come dame or maid,
------ be not afraid--
------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
With a thought I took for Maudlin,
And a cruse of cockle pottage.
------ With a thing thus tall,
------ Sky bless you all,
I befell into this dotage.
I slept not since the Conquest,
Till then I never waked.
------ Till the roguish boy
------ Of love where I lay
Me found and stripped me naked.
------ While I do sing "Any food, any feeding?
------ Money, drink, or clothing?
------ Come dame or maid,
------ be not afraid--
------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
When short I have shorn my sow's face,
And swigged my horny barrel,
------ In an oaken inn,
------ I pound my skin
As a suit of gilt apparel.
The Moon's my constant mistress,
And the lonely owl my marrow.
------The flaming drake
------and the night crow make
Me music to my sorrow.
------ While I do sing "Any food, any feeding?
------ Money, drink, or clothing?
------ Come dame or maid,
------ be not afraid--
------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
The palsy plagues my pulses,
When I prig your pigs or pullen.
------ Your culvers take,
------ or matchless make
Your Chanticleer or Sullen.
When I want provant, with Humphry
I sup, and when benighted,
------ I repose in Paul's
------ with waking souls,
Yet never am affrighted.
------ But I do sing "Any food, any feeding?
------ Money, drink, or clothing?
------ Come dame or maid,
------ be not afraid--
------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
I know more than Apollo,
For oft when he lies sleeping
------ I see the stars
------ at mortal wars
In the wounded welkin weeping.
The moon embrace her shepherd,
And the Queen of Love her warrior,
------ While the first doth horn
------ the star of morn,
and the next the heavenly Farrier.
------ While I do sing "Any food, any feeding?
------ Money, drink, or clothing?
------ Come dame or maid,
------ be not afraid--
------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
The Gypsies, Snap and Pedro,
Are none of Tom's comradoes,
------ The punk I scorn,
------ and the cutpurse sworn
And the roaring boy's bravadoes.
The meek, the white, the gentle,
Me handle not nor spare not;
------ But those that cross
------ Tom Rynosseross
Do what the panther dare not.
------ Although I sing "Any food, any feeding?
------ Money, drink, or clothing?
------ Come dame or maid,
------ be not afraid--
------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
With an host of furious fancies,
Whereof I am commander.
------ With a burning spear
------ And a horse of Air,
To the wilderness I wander.
By a knight of ghosts and shadows,
I summoned am to tourney
------ Ten leagues beyond
------ The wild world's end--
Methinks it is no journey.
------ Yet I do sing "Any food, any feeding?
------ Money, drink, or clothing?
------ Come dame or maid,
------ be not afraid--
------ Poor Tom will injure nothing."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Is this Tom hoping that people never have to beg like he does?
Or is it Tom warning people to be wary of him if he comes to steal your bacon?
.
This section is a chorus that is sung between each of the verses.
.
Tom calls to women. Is he sincere here or is he trying to trap them?
.
.
.
This stanza is bizzare. I think that he is intentionally screwing up his math here.
It fits because, while he wants you to believe that he is loony and harmless, in all
reality he is trying to lure you in.
The fool has a unique place in a society. He can say anything he wants without repercussions.
This is often a powerful position and affords him the ability to "call it like it is." Most of the time,
the foll is anything but a fool.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Maudlin: This is a reference to Mary Magdalene. Found religion? or a Prostitute?
A cruse of cockle pottage: a mess of weeds
.
.
dotage: a decline of mental facilities related to old age
.
Is this a reference to birth? or a metaphoric birth?
What is the capital "C" Conquest? Is this in some way to relate to the Maudlin?
.
Cupid?
Weird...I really don't get it.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
pig's face? What does that mean? Is this a sort of mask?
.
.
gilt apparel is rich clothes but gilt is again something that only looks like gold
but it really isn't...masking again
.
I am always out at night
marrow: wife
flaming drake: shooting star
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Later in the poem, the narrator references St. Paul. Palsy - Paulsy?
a.k.a. - when i steal your pigs or chickens
a.k.a. - by stealing your hens, I make your roosters widowers
.
provant: food
benighted: when it turns to night or to be intellectually/morally ignorant
.
to sup with Humphry is to go hungry
affrighted: sudden fear or terror / a source of sudden fear or terror
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Apollo: god of light, healing, poetry, prophecy
.
.
.
welkin: sky; maybe a god of the sky?
.
more reference to gods the moon (Diana) her shepherd (Endymion)
Queen of Love (Venus); warrior (Mars)
to horn is to cuckhold: or to cheat on one's husband
This is a reference to Diana cheating on her husband Vulcan with Mars
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Tom is saying that he doesn't associate with these types of people
punk: prostitute
cutpurse: pick pocket
.
.
.
is this a threat?
to cross: to get in one's way or maybe a religious reference to make the sign of the cross
.
again a threat?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
is he gathering an army?
.
.
.
.
.
no longer little Tom o Bedlam...
he seems mean now...
is this hell?
.
hmmm.....